Rotary retort.



No. 629,617. Patented July 25, I899.

F. W. SMITH.

ROTARY BETUBT,

(Application filed Aug. 18, 1897.) (No Model.)

ml'rzess 66 THE Noam PETERS cu. Pno'roumo \w-aumomn. n c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK V. SMITH, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FREDERICK O.OONANT, OF SAME PLACE.

ROTARY RETORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,617, dated July25,1899.

Application filed August 18, 189 7. Serial No. 648.683. (No model.)

Be it known that I, FRANK 'W. SMITH, acitizen of the United States,residing at Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Retorts; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to retorts by which meats, fish, vegetables, andother foods contained in hermetically-sealed vessels or in otherpackagesmay be subjected to the action of heat or steam; and it consistsin certain mechanism by which the contents of the vessels or packagesmay be agitated while subjected to the action of the steam or heat.

The'mechanism referred to embraces a box or cylinder in which thevessels or packages containing the substances to be treated are packed,a steam or heat supply connecting therewith, and means by which such boxor cylinder may be rotated during the process.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side eleva-' tion with a part of thecylinder broken out. Fig. 2 is an end view with a part of the cylinderbroken out. Fig. 3 is a detail of part of the end of the cylinder,showing the'inechanism for opening and closing the same and feedingdevice.

My invention may be embodied in various mechanical devices.

Referring to the drawings, A A are standards, on which are supported thetrunnions B B, through the center of which passes the hollow shaft (1,which within the cylinder, hereinafter described, is perforated, as seenin- Fig. 1. Supported by the trunnions B B is the casing b, cylindricalin shape and provided at one or both ends with the stops 0 c, ofsuflicient length to engage the supports A A. This casing b is providedwith a narrow opening 00, preferably extending from end to end, which isclosed by means of the door d, hinged to the casing, which is sethe nutsU.

cured over the opening a: by the bolts 6 e and Within the casing b andsupported by and fixed to the hollow shaft or is a cylinder f, thesurface of which is provided with means for securing and holding thevessels or packages to be processed. These means may-consist of flutingsin the surface of the cylinder f or of angle-irons h, fixed to thesurface, as shown in the drawings. They may extend from end to end ofthe cylinder in straight lines parallel with the axis, or-a constructionwhich I prefer and which is shown in Fig. 1be carried spirally around orpartially around the cylinder. The shaft (1 is provided at one end withthe gear i, which matches with the small gear j on the shaft Z, whichcarries the pulley 76.

The operation of the device described is as follows: Assume the door dto be open and the stop 0 engaging the standard A, as shown in Fig. 1.The cans, vessels, or packages g g are placed within the angleirons h,fluting, or other means for receiving thesame, and can be reachedthrough the opening. When these are filled, the cylinder fis rotatedsufficiently to expose through the opening the next adjacentangle-irons, which are then filled, and so on in succession until allhave been filled. The opening is now closed by means of the door d,which is firmly fixed in place by the bolts 6 e and nuts a Steam or heatis then admitted through the hollow shaft a, a-stuffing-box'w beingprovided at one end for the connection and the other end being closed,and passes through the perforations thereof into the casing 12. By meansof power applied through the pulley k the cylinder f is rotated for asufficient length of time to cook the substance being processed to therequired degree. WVhen this is accomplished, the heat is shut off, thepower withdrawn, and the casing turned so that the stop 0 encounters thestandard A, when the door d will be downward, as shown in dotted linesin Fig. 2. The door at is now opened and the cylinder f slowly rotated,permitting the cans g to fall upon the floor, where they can be removedand the machine again charged.

By the use of devices constructed upon the principles before'describedthe contents of the cans or vessels or packages during the to the samedegree of heat and the mass uniformly affected.

WVhat I claim is-- 1. In a machine for processing food or othersubstances contained in cans, other vessels or packages, the combinationof a steam-tight hollow cylinder provided with a steam or heat supply, alongitudinal opening and steamtight door, a cylinder within thefirst-named cylinder having upon its surface means for holding saidvessels or packages in position, together with means for rotating saidlastnamed cylinder, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for processing food and other substances contained invessels and packages, the combination of a hollow cylin-

